Brooklyn Man Upcycles a Dumpster, Beats the System

In New York City, if your apartment is larger than 300 square feet, then you've made it. The city is notorious for big rents and small spaces. That may be precisely why Brooklyn-based artist Gregory Kloehn took matters into his own hands when he purchased a dumpster for $2,000, and turned it into the most creative garbage container you've ever seen. The green-hued living space took Kloehn six months to trick out with a toilet, stove, sink, and a roof that can double as a deck for seating. It also has a barbecue, a mini bar, and a shower that sticks off the side of the dumpster and gives outdoor showering a whole new meaning.

Not only does this self-contained green living space have all the amenities of a regular apartment, but it's also mobile, allowing Kloehn to roll it to new locations around Brooklyn when he needs a change of scenery. The whole thing is pretty quirky, yes, but as rents continue to rise in Brooklyn and Manhattan, kudos to Kloehn for finding a creative way to beat the system.